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#1 |
Deadnight Chanter
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The masks of inscrutability, or are you really you?
Disclaimer: Phone numbers (or any other contact details) of doctors majoring in split personality treatment are highly unwelcome, anyone trying to provide information of the kind indicated is doing it at their own risk.
The question occurred to yours truly whilst posting to Nominations For Best Nicks thread, but I feel it was hovering on the edge of my conscious mind ever before. I will try to make it articulate to the extent I’m able to (being of not great knowledge in the field of psychology, that is) Allegedly, coming around here we all wear masks – our nicks. Come to think of it, are we really we when posting here? Forced to consider this, I can’t help noticing HerenIstarion does not equal George Lashkhi. Yes, they both sign my posts – one as an author, so he’s name goes above, and another signs it below, as to affirm we both participated, but I can’t help thinking of H-I as of different person. And I have a suspicion he is at once better person than GL finds himself to be, and worse in some other aspects. For one, H-I is more prone to the sin of vanity, but he is smarter, more polite and well-spoken and bolder than GL is. So, the question comes down to trivial ‘is it just me, or have you noticed something similar?’ PS Concerning disclaimer above: unless the doctors in question are not Tolkienites and the provision of their contact details has an aim of getting good Tolkien discussion around. The statement of purpose to be included
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Egroeg Ihkhsal - Would you believe in the love at first sight? - Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time! |
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#2 |
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
Posts: 4,240
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Well, David Marley is not exactly davem. davem is way too dogmatic & sure of himself, & a lot of the time I'm slightly embarrassed to be associated with him - I wish he would be more polite & less 'certain', & stop pretending to be some kind of expert on all things Tolkien, because I don't believe he's anything of the kind.
I also wish I understood half of what he wrote, or where it came from - too much of what he posts just comes to him as hes typing, & he has a bad habit of just hitting the submit button before he'e re-read it & thought about it. |
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#3 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Rohan
Posts: 568
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I have to say that I disagree. Crystal Heart and my real personality are the same in every way. I created my screenname to represent me. I have never thought about it before in any different way. We are both the same person. As my signature says: What you see is exactly what you get. Don't say I didn't warn you.
-Crystal Heart-
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"What you see is exactly what you get. Don't say I didn't warn you." |
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#4 |
Stormdancer of Doom
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Er...
I think mark12_30 and Helen wish they weren't quite so similar. And I bet Mithadan won't post on this thread. Nor Mister Underhill either. Talk about sustaining a mystique.
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...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve. |
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#5 |
Deadnight Chanter
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edit: cross posting with Mark here, the reply was mainly to the post prior to hers.
Hey, Helen, no knowing about Mr. U, but about Mith your guess is probably correct ![]() end of edit ********************* Good for you ![]() But a bit of clarification: the topic is based mainly on perception of things as yours truly sees them. For me, name defines thing to an extent (even when I do not think it out, on some unconscious level), so different names have to be defining different things. That's why (up to a point) HerenIstarion is not the same as George Lashkhi for me. The innumerable connotations, based, among other things, on visual effect of names being written down, and the sound of them pronounced, do the trick too. Besides, even when I do not think that either out, I inevitable act differently as reacting to different situations. Hence, as my presence (as presence of other members, of course) is virtual, expressed by what I write, not by how I look or what I sound like, I act differently of what I would do if we all were having rounds of beer in a pub. We all are up to a point incognito. No one can know as a fact, whether I have four huge-n-hairy warts on the tip of my nose or not, so to say, and it makes me free. On the other hand, the opinion of mates here rates higher, for we all feel and are equals, it is what C.S.Lewis called (as a joke) 'mutual admiration society', or friendship. But in virtual friendship, it is easier to hurt. Hence the caution and politeness, which I would not have shown if we were indeed in a mentioned pub. Hence conclusion - if HerenIstarion acts differently from George Lashkhi, and has his own name, we are separate (even if slightly so) persons, are not we? It's a bit of a joke too, but as Russians say, there is a bit of a truth to each joke, or, as H-I (but not GL) would put it, there is a bit of a joketo each joke, and the rest is truth cheers
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Egroeg Ihkhsal - Would you believe in the love at first sight? - Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time! Last edited by HerenIstarion; 06-01-2004 at 06:22 AM. |
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#6 | |
Corpus Cacophonous
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: A green and pleasant land
Posts: 8,390
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If anything, davem, it's the opposite for me. I suspect that the Man behind the Pans is sometimes less thoughtful and reasonable than his Forum counterpart. After all, he does not, in real life, have the luxury of reviewing and moderating everything that he says before he says it.
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Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind! Last edited by The Saucepan Man; 06-01-2004 at 06:29 AM. |
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#7 |
Princess of Skwerlz
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles)
Posts: 7,500
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Great thread idea, HI!
The difference between my real life identity (H****) and my online personality is complicated by the fact that Estelyn has two different aspects to her: she is the person who posts and moderates on the forum today, but she is also a character who lives in Fourth Age Middle-earth and takes part in (RPG) adventures there. Similarities: Both H* and Estelyn are female, both no longer in their youth. (Though the online person is quite reticent about giving her exact age, since numbers can be divisive, and it's nice to cross age boundaries on the internet.) I think that the way Estelyn reacts is fairly similar to H*'s reactions. The moderator Estelyn does weigh her words more carefully than the poster Esty does, though. (Hmmm, even the change in nick, cutting it short to Esty, seems to change things - I don't use the abbreviation in my official function.) Both Estelyn and H* are reticent about showing too much of their private side to others unless they feel safe. It's easier to define the differences than the similarities, I think. I would agree with Saucepan that the online person has the advantage of proofreading conversations, so that mistakes made by spontaneous utterances are few and far between, hopefully. There's also a major difference in language - Estelyn writes in English, H* speaks German almost all of the time - that certainly influences the choice of words and sentence structure. Estelyn writes a lot - H* very little. The latter tends to forget to answer e-mails and writes so few letters that she is surprised to find out that the price of postage has changed again. Her journal is written very erratically, and she never writes fiction. Estelyn is involved in RPGs and spends hours crafting posts for her characters; furthermore, she has even begun online journaling, with the result that there are more recent entries there than in her private, hand-written one. The RPG Estelyn lives a much more adventurous life; though she has her home base in Minas Tirith as the Head Loremistress of the Library there, she travels a lot to gather stories. Actually, now that I think about it, that's a similarity - her real life creator likes to travel to gather impressions and ideas as well! And then there's the chat Esty - she's a combination of H* and Estelyn - a bit more daring and less inhibited than in real life though, with a tendency to enjoy mild flirtation occasionally... ![]() So, to answer the question HI poses - is Estelyn a mask that H* wears? I would say not - she's just part of a personality that is much more complicated than can be shown online. (The older I get, the less inclined I am to put on a show for the benefit of the public.) But maybe there's a bit of a mask, for who can show a naked face to all of the world?!
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'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...' |
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#8 | |
Deadnight Chanter
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That was a read, my lady, thank you
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Egroeg Ihkhsal - Would you believe in the love at first sight? - Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time! |
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#9 |
Spirit of the Lonely Star
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,133
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Heren,
An interesting idea for a thread. I will reply later, but wanted to share one small thought with you concerning masks. It seems to me that this isn't the only place in life where we wear masks. There are masks I wear on this site that may shield or modify certain aspects of my "real" personality, generally by choice. Yet out there in the "real" world, there are other masks I wear, which can be equally concealing. The latter can be by choice, by necessity, or sometimes merely by default, dictated by the particular situation I am in. So, in a strange way, there are pieces of "me" on this site involving writing and imagination that sometimes get hidden in real life except with family or very close friends. (And of course the opposite is also true.) So where does the 'real' me lie? Perhaps in some combination that I have yet to achieve? I sometimes wonder which Tolkien was more 'real' -- the dedicated scholar and family man of Carpenter's biography, whose life was 'hemmed in' by practical cares and necessities, or the Elf-friend who wandered freely in the land of Faerie? A strange thought, but something to consider in responding to this thread. (And now Heren runs off to place a call to those doctors! ![]()
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Multitasking women are never too busy to vote. |
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#10 |
Deadnight Chanter
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Thank you
Nay, Child, I'm not running away to doctors
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Egroeg Ihkhsal - Would you believe in the love at first sight? - Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time! |
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#11 |
Stormdancer of Doom
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After reading Esty's post, there is at least one big difference for me: Helen doesn't get to talk about Tolkien anywhere near as often as mark does.
But they both "speak" first and "proofread" afterwards. Bad habit. H-I, that quote about losing bits of a friend is pretty intense. It presupposes a three-way intimacy in platonic friendship, though, and I wonder how many of us have that? In band, yes, and in bible study, yes. Few other places. I'm not so aware of it here; perhaps I should be.
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...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve. |
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#12 |
Deadnight Chanter
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I was referring to 'real life', as in Child's post, Helen
![]() But if one takes pains to dig it up, it may be seen here too. More so in RPGs, probably (though I do not play those, regrettable lack of time and imagination), but maybe it is explicit there in more literal way - without A's post the B's post would have been different, etc. But principle seems similar. And remember notorious Canonicity thread - without everybody posting, everybody would cease posting. But both examples fail short of the mark, it is more subtle, and I can not grasp the suiting analogy (BTW, another feat H-I is marked for more than GL - giving analogies for everything he says (writes)) So better remind myself of another great quote by J.R.R.T. - 'things might have been different, but they could bot have been better'
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Egroeg Ihkhsal - Would you believe in the love at first sight? - Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time! |
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#13 |
Spirit of Mist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Tol Eressea
Posts: 3,361
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Beleriand, Beleriand, the borders of the Elven-land. |
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#14 |
Wight
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Me as an offline person, is much the same as Lhundulinwen the elf. Only the elven incarnation of me thinks much longer before saying something than I do. But my online hobbit self is the *cough, cough* inner demons magnified. Loved Harfoot only has one post, but she is much more like the person that only Jade of Mordor gets to see. (offline, anyway).
If you want to see the truest incarnation of myself, you should meet my Chatroom persona. Sam is me. Completely, 100% me. The good and the bad, you get it all on the chatroom.
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~*Just call on me, and I'm there. I'll always be your Sam*~
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#15 |
Fair and Cold
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Haha, Mithadan, you're such a tease.
I guess I'm as much of myself on this forum as I can be. I do like pink flowers in real life. I do listen to the Smiths. I am in love (whether with a man or an idea or an inanimate object, or a combination). My nickname existed long before I joined the Barrowdowns, but in these post-high school days, the Barrowdowns has kept it alive, and for that, I am grateful. I suppose when I am not on this forum and out in "real life", I am much more profane. And way more sensitive and whiny. A peculiar combination. Otherwise, I can't really think of any major disguises I put on. I suppose I do a very poor job of protecting my privacy. Perhaps one day my unwilligness to do so shall bite me on the bum (it won't be able to pass up the opportunity), but I guess at this point I can't really do it any other way. It's all about the different strokes, you know? Even more so, who's to say that forum persona is not just an extension of one's character, as opposed to an actual disguise?
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~The beginning is the word and the end is silence. And in between are all the stories. This is one of mine~ |
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#16 |
A Shade of Westernesse
Join Date: May 2004
Location: The last wave over Atalantë
Posts: 515
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My online persona talks much less colloquially (in real life I wouldn't have said "colloquially") than I do in real life, but I suppose that's probably true for 99.9% of the people here. As Saucepan Man said, in real life you can't proofread what you say.
I feel that what H-I said in his first post holds true for me: "Come to think of it, are we really we when posting here? Forced to consider this, I can’t help noticing HerenIstarion does not equal George Lashkhi. Yes, they both sign my posts – one as an author, so he’s name goes above, and another signs it below, as to affirm we both participated, but I can’t help thinking of H-I as of different person. And I have a suspicion he is at once better person than GL finds himself to be, and worse in some other aspects. For one, H-I is more prone to the sin of vanity, but he is smarter, more polite and well-spoken and bolder than GL is." Substitute Son of Númenor for HerenIstarion, and Nic for George Lashkhi, & you've got a rough idea of my relationship with my online self. I'm fairly certain that anyone here who has gotten to know me since I have joined would be surprised at my real life appearance & persona. Every time I read a book, I read it in a voice that certainly isn't my own; it can be more intelligent & eloquent, or more witty, cynical & wry. I don't know if even the most carefully crafted of my posts can pass me off as possessing either of the former virtues to a really high degree, but nevertheless I hear that same voice when I read over any of my posts from more than a few days back. I tried a funny, simple little test to see if I really associate my online persona with my real self: I said my screen name aloud. "Son of Númenor." "Son of Númenor." Nope, I thought. He isn't me. He is parts of me, yes, & in some posts I come through in his writing moreso than in others, but nonetheless he has not been fully assimilated into (& is not a firm representation/mirror image of) the persona of Nic.
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"This miserable drizzling afternoon I have been reading up old military lecture-notes again:- and getting bored with them after an hour and a half. I have done some touches to my nonsense fairy language - to its improvement." Last edited by Son of Númenor; 06-01-2004 at 04:33 PM. |
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#17 | |
Illusionary Holbytla
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 7,547
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Interesting thread. For me, I feel that my personality is much more like Firefoot than my real-world counterpart. They are similar, but often times I feel my true personality shows through on the Internet more than in real-life.
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So I suppose all this is to say that on the Barrow-downs I am more like me than I am in real-life, if that makes sense. I doubt many people would recognize me in real-life. |
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#18 |
Wight
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: somewhere between the sacred , silence and sweet .
Posts: 169
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Me and Ophelia are quite the same , but still I like to refer to Ophelia as a persone - the part of me evrybody in the internet know me by and the part they think of when seeing my nickname , all gathered under one title - Ophelia . But to tell you the truth - internet is the place I will never get the chance to be myself . And all because there are these limits called rules all over the internet (I`m not saying it is bad or anything , I`m just making a statement) . Like , I swear a lot in real life (a bad habit I could never get rid of) and even though it causes laughing mostly I admit it could sound rude to others and I do respect that , but still - it is a part of me which this Ophelia person doesn`t possess . And now that , dear fellow Barrow Downers , is where me and Ophelia already become two different people . Now imagine - if a little thing like that splits me and ... basically myself in to two different parts than I must say - I halfly agree to this mask theory . Halfly because it is still me and Ophelia doesn`t possess any specifics of charecter that I wouldn`t have but still - it gathers mostly only the best side of me , which you shan`t see in a clear way like this in the real life . So it is some sort of a mask afterall . The mask that gives the ability to hide the bad sides and bring out mostly the best , still not denying the fact of the existance of flaws , just not mentioning this fact .
The Person Behind Ophelia
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I didn't lose my mind . It was mine to give away . |
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#19 |
Shade of Carn Dûm
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: A place where after thunder golden showers come falling like a rain of flowers.
Posts: 371
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Mad Baggins is much like my real-life persona. Although I am much like Son of Numenor and Firefoot; I rarely speak the way I post. But in the way of humour and language style, I am very much like Mad Baggins. I'm quite mad, too.
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I like buying snacks from a vending machine because food is better when it falls. Sometimes at the grocery, I'll drop a candy bar so that it will achieve its maximum flavor potential. |
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#20 |
Shade of Carn Dûm
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Wind's Road
Posts: 467
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Well, Sirithheruwen and M***** (to borrow Esty's idea) are pretty similar except for a few minor things. Sirith is a better writer than I am. Sirith is also wittier than I am. I would say "bolder," but I have bumped that up significantly this year now that I've found true friends. (Real life stressing, just ignore that.) So, all in all, M.'s pretty much the same as Sirith.
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"My name is Mallard, but you can call me Duck." ~Random Saying, compliments of Sirith and her best friend, concerning a book. |
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#21 |
Estelo dagnir, Melo ring
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 3,063
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Durelin and...Rachel? Which one do ya think is more imposing?
First of all, I must agree with much of what has been said, especially the fact that I am able to edit posts and take my time to think makes me seem so much smarter. I am not a person of words. I am more likely to answer some thoughtful discussion in real life with a few 'errs' and then perhaps a 'yeah, I think so', or a 'maybe', or even a 'no, I don't think so'. But when asked to elaborate, many more 'errs' would follow. This is especially true when my tongue is especially caught. I am much more likely to think of a word when my fingers hover above a keyboard than when my mouth is working and my tongue hesitating. I also have never been a leader. I don't like to give people orders, simply for the fear that I may be wrong (a horrifying thought that makes my tongue hesitate quite often) and that people may not like it if I take charge. Even Durelin can struggle with many of these things, showing how weak I am in these areas. But how Durelin is able to make comments without fear of rebuke, embarrassment, fault, etc., goes to show how unreal a community this is. Now this may sound harsh, but it's not supposed to feel like a big family, or even a group of classmates or workmates. (Or is it...?) Part of what helps make it so different a way of communicating than speaking to a person, whether directly or over the phone (Or a mic, thanks to scary technology). For one thing, this doesn't work in real time. We have time to formulate posts, even one-liners, and time to edit, time to think about other people's posts... It is amazing how different it can be to see words rather than just hear them or say them. For myself, I am very glad that the words I say are not as permanent as the ones I write or type. I my mind, Durelin is a simpler person, and, so, in a way, a better person. There are faults that do not show when I type as Durelin (I don't think they do, at least.), and I think becoming Durelin for a bit improves the much less interesting 'Rachel behind the mask'. This may seem a bit much for an online nickname I like to think of myself as, but taking time to discuss things with more thought doesn't just aid you in posting on message boards. Right, so Durelin is not Rachel, a 14 (almost 15!) year old girl who doesn't plan on getting much older, for obvious reasons. ![]() -Durelin (Or am I?) ![]() You know it does make you wonder...who am I right now? |
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#22 |
Ubiquitous Urulóki
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Hoho, I feel suddenly as if I hold great power. Am I the only one here with more than two egos in alteration! Ah, I see so far that I may be. How very...intriguing...yes.
As said, I am multi-scizophrenic. Kransha is my online personality, and Mattvae Mikhaelovich Sergeiov Omordova Heimovitz is one of the two I use in reality (that, if you'd like to know is not my real name, but it would have been if I still lived the Old Country [more reminiscing]). My final is M****** (copyright carefully avoided). Kransha is, for one, an orc, which I most certainly am not. I know not why he is an orc, he merely is. On other forums which I register on, he is still an orc, even if said forum has nothing to do with Tolkein or orcs of any kind. He is, however, an intelligent orc. He fancies himself as a bit of a oligarch, not pompous, but very humorous, gentile, not condescending, but full of bombastic vocabulary and opinions. If you've read the BD-Birthday Party Thread of late, you might understand some of Kransha's noble ideosynchrasies. His Ruske counterpart is most of my undesirable traits, but plated as good. MMSOH (as I've come to call him), IS condescending in his attitude. He is tyranical, oppressive, overbearing, argumentative, and temperemental. He is also a boyar of pre-communist Russia and the dictator of the small but fiesty country of Combatsylvania, inhabited by the belligerent Combatsylvanian Myrmidons. Trust me, I have no idea in all Arda why he is thus, he simply is. He always comes out sparingly, mostly in heated arguments. He is helpful because he has more confidence than the other two, and I admit that I have let him type for me once or twice, but very little, and I often let Kransha bowdlerize each of his 'contributions.' The third is, simply put, me. He's a bit Kransha, a bit MMSOH, a bit Napolean, a dash of Saruman, a slice of Merry Brandybuck, a pinch of Abe Lincoln, and a squirt of Mahatma Ghandi. He's all of that rolled into one, neat, utterly chaotic package. I would never let this persona loose on these forums. Though it shames me that I must hide him in the so-called "real" world, but I must. He's far too liberal, too simple, too flawed. My mask is not a complicated one, just one thar keeps my alternate egos from warring like an unkempt band of hydra heads, so to speak. Post Script: For those of you who care to know, or commented, I had to let MMSOH decide a few things about my online identity, so I allowed him to dictate my avatar. As this has been spoken of in the past, I thought I might make it clear that all thanks, criticism, or banana peels, should be directed to the Combatsylvanian League of Manageable Receptionists, P.O. Box 1337, Picklesworth, VA.
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"What mortal feels not awe/Nor trembles at our name, Hearing our fate-appointed power sublime/Fixed by the eternal law. For old our office, and our fame," -Aeschylus, Song of the Furies Last edited by Kransha; 06-01-2004 at 07:40 PM. |
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#23 |
Master of the Secret Fire
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Beren is Matt at his most bored.
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#24 |
Tears of the Phoenix
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Putting dimes in the jukebox baby.
Posts: 1,453
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I must say that Imladris is kind of like me. Actually, my normal self is more revealed and slightly exaggerated online because I am protected from you all by a faceless computer screen that cannot interrupt me, cannot roll their eyes at me, cannot smirk at my stupidity, etc.
I am far less bold in real life than I am here...and even here I am not all that bold.
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I'm sorry it wasn't a unicorn. It would have been nice to have unicorns. |
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#25 | ||
Deadnight Chanter
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![]() Mith, 'mithology' is quite a word, I like it ![]() Quote:
And to an extent, it does not matter that they may be different in 'real life'. For one, I, probably, would never have chance to find out. For another, when we communicate here, it is their 'mask' that counts, and they (or should I say - me?) are transformed into persons defined by their nicks. So this is davem, Child, Mhoram I know, not David, Helen or [another] David, but it does not matter as far as we communicate online I would be glad to meet you IRL (there was a whole thread by Esty (or Estelyn? ![]()
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Egroeg Ihkhsal - Would you believe in the love at first sight? - Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time! |
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#26 |
Stormdancer of Doom
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Alas, more than one tale tells that meeting IRL ruined the online friendship. If the relationship is writing-based, then rather than ruin the online writing chemistry, better to maintain the mask.
I do have cherished exceptions! But I think I have companions here that I would rather NOT meet in person, because the possibility of losing the online friendship outweighs the potential gain of a single meeting IRL.
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...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve. Last edited by mark12_30; 06-02-2004 at 06:48 AM. |
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#27 |
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
Posts: 4,240
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Speaking of meeting IRL, is anyone planning on on being at Tolkien 2005 in Birmingham (UK), August 11th-15th next year? Guests to include Verlyn Flieger, Tom Shippey, Brian Sibley, Ted Naismith & (possibly) Alan Lee.
Info at: http://www.tolkiensociety.org/2005/about.html Should be amazing, possibly the biggest thing Tolkien-wise for the foreseeable future. |
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#28 | |
Vice of Twilight
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: on a mountain
Posts: 1,121
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![]() ![]() But I see how you feel. I would rather meet those people online who I feel aren't wearing a mask, because otherwise I won't feel like it's them and I'll lose them. As far as I'm able to gather, Nurumaiel is (copying Esty) C****. Both write and love it, both love large families, both are Catholics, both love music (in particular Irish and Scottish ballads), and so on and so forth. There are some differences, though. Let me see if I can name them... 1) Nurumaiel doesn't mind talking with anyone and can talk at great length to people she doesn't even know. She doesn't mind speaking her loveliest thoughts and doesn't feel embarrassed and being rather old-fashioned. C**** can only talk beyond mere courtesy to certain people, that is 'kindred spirits' who won't laugh at her. She's rather shy... well, very shy, except to those 'kindred spirits.' She isn't embarrassed at being old-fashioned but more concious of it. 2) Nurumaiel writes about Middle-Earth and the inhabitants. C**** hardly ever writes about Middle-Earth and stick to completely original works. 3) Nurumaiel is usually rather calm and not too insane. C**** gets hyper often, particulary after drinking anything red-colored or on the return from a baseball game. More than once she has 'gone Frodo' and hopped up on a table to sing a song. 4) Nurumaiel doesn't talk too much about sports (with exceptions... I've discussed baseball with one Downer before). C**** goes to young lads' baseball games, helps the young lads practice, and is an avid Notre Dame Fighting Irish fan. 5) Nurumaiel doesn't talk too much about cooking or gardening. C**** cooks and is rather good at it, unless she's being told so out of courtesy. C**** also gardens and is very successful at it. It's odd, though, how the day after the tomato plant was put in the ground the deer somehow knew it was there and for the first time ever came into our front yard..... 6) Nurumaiel is an Elf; C**** is mainly hobbit and a little Rohirric. 7) Nurumaiel is usually rather meek and willing to take advice, and doesn't mind giving in to what others suggest. C****, alas, is very stubborn and thinks she knows what she's doing all the time. C**** has a hint of pride and doesn't like to lose in an argument to anyone British or anyone who doesn't come from the Highlands. She may like them, she may love them, but she does not want to have them win over her own Irish ancestry and her Highland blood. ![]() 8) This is the biggest difference of all, I fancy. Nurumaiel is dead, very dead. Nurumaiel has been rotting for over a year. C**** is very, very much alive. The differences are few, but there are some things I'd like to dispose of in C**** (the stubborness, for example) and imitate Nurumaiel instead.
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In the fury of the moment I can see the Master's hand in every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand. |
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#29 | |
Shadow of Starlight
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![]() I was thinking about this some time ago when musing on my RPG characters - I figure I must have broken some sort of record in number of split personalities... 'Myself and Aman' aren't the same though - there are some major differences between us. For one thing, she's somewhat more outgoing, seems to know what she's talking about when writing about Tolkien, and is far, far more organised! Oh, and then there's the fact that Aman was my first RPG character - and...dead... Interestingly though, if people are so very different: look at the 'What do you think your fellow barrowdowners look like' thread, and see how many of the descriptions match - it's quite interesting, seeing that actually, from what you post, the people you're around on the internet can actually conjure up a somewhat accurate image of you.
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I am what I was, a harmless little devil |
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#30 | ||
Estelo dagnir, Melo ring
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 3,063
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![]() Speaking of conjuring up images, that has never been possible for me. I see people in a certain way, but never have I found them to look as I thought they would. And then, of course, it takes me a good while to adjust to how they look. Perhaps I am just not doing enough to get to know people around here... Quote:
![]() You know...I certainly hope no one has come up with an accurate image of me. ![]() Durelin is me when my head doesn't hurt. |
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#31 |
A Shade of Westernesse
Join Date: May 2004
Location: The last wave over Atalantë
Posts: 515
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Originally posted by Durelin:
"I definitely disagree with that. There are members, even incredibly active ones, that I have not posted with or even seen a post authored by them." I think H-I meant specifically the people that he has interacted with and developed a friendship with through the Barrow-downs. Of course not everyone knows each other well/gets along well in such a vast public forum as this. This isn't Mister Rogers's neighborhood. ![]()
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"This miserable drizzling afternoon I have been reading up old military lecture-notes again:- and getting bored with them after an hour and a half. I have done some touches to my nonsense fairy language - to its improvement." |
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#32 | ||
Beloved Shadow
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Interesting thread, H-I.
Let's compare the phantom and Philip. I suppose the biggest difference is Philip talks about sports, church, school, Star Wars, and women much more than the phantom, but TP doesn't talk about them because he's on a Tolkien forum, so I don't think that difference really matters. Quote:
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Maybe I've missed something but as far as I can tell the phantom is pretty much the same as Philip.
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the phantom has posted.
This thread is now important. |
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#33 |
Eidolon of a Took
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: my own private fantasy world
Posts: 3,460
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I'm more outspoken and considerably crazier online, but that's only because I often wear a mask of inscrutability in my so called real life.
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All shall be rather fond of me and suffer from mild depression. |
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#34 |
Shade of Carn Dûm
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What is this enigma that is Saraphim? Is it simply a misspelled word that Kira thought looked nice in print and then spelled wrong on the sign-in form? Does Saraphim reflect the person behind her, or does Kira reflect Saraphim?
Or are they the same, a gawky kid who is just as Tolkien-fanatacized whether on the Downs or sitting at a computer? Meh.
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I drink Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters! ~ Always remember: pillage BEFORE you burn. |
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#35 |
Eidolon of a Took
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: my own private fantasy world
Posts: 3,460
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You shouldn't have admitted that.
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All shall be rather fond of me and suffer from mild depression. |
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#36 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: The end of the world as we know it. I feel fine, incidentally.
Posts: 500
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Today on "Behind the Mask," we examine a peculiar specimen of Wight known among the Barrow Downs as Maeggaladiel of the Four Eyes.
Althought the so-called "President" of the questionable Society of Nearsighted Elves, careful research has proven that the creature who claims to be Maeggaladiel is actually human. Where "Maeg" is talkative and spontaneous, her offline counterpart is quiet and tranquil. The OTHER Maeg spends her time drawing and writing, whereas BD Maeg spends it staring at pictures and making up captions for them, or claiming that she is dead. Although Maeggaladiel claims to be a fan of Figwit, her alter-ego drools over Orlando, Johnny Depp, Hugh Jackman, Antonio Banderas, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Harrisson Ford (when he was younger), Cary Ewles (in Princess Bride), Matthew Modine (See "Cuthroat Island" for details) and a variety of other actors who make up what is known in her household as "THE LIST." You should all be glad that she refrains from speaking of THE LIST while on the Downs. Offline Maeg likes a variety of films that she does not discuss on the Downs, from VanHelsing to Pirates of the Carribbean to French Kiss to Ten Things I Hate About You. (She just remembered that Heath Ledger is also on THE LIST.) She is indeed nearsighted, and has astigmatism in her right eye. NEXT TIME ON "UNMASKED": MODERATORS: DEMONIC UNDEAD OBSERVERS OR NORMAL GUYS WITH TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS? Heh heh!!! (Dodges as Pio, the BW, and Bethberry throw things at Maeg)
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"Wide ne bith wel," cwaeth se the geheirde on helle hriman. |
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#37 |
Shade of Carn Dûm
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No, Diamond. I'm not nearly that clever.
![]() Anyway, I have recently asked my friend to look at a thread I participated in on the Downs and pick which poster I was. He couldn't. Therefore, it is only plausable to assume that Saraphim is a different person than Kira. Or maybe, my insomniacal friend was too tired to tell the difference. At any rate, props to Maeg for a super-funny post!
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I drink Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters! ~ Always remember: pillage BEFORE you burn. |
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#38 |
The Melody of Misery
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: The Island of Conclusions (You get there by jumping!)...
Posts: 1,147
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Hmm...
Aylwen is a thirty-something innkeeper. Aylwen's offline counterpart is just turning fifteen this Saturday and works as a student. I feel like I'm more...stubborn and assertive in real life. Offline I feel more like a leader in that I always make sure everyone is on task and that everyone (including myself!) is doing their work to bring a project together. Aylwen sometimes needs a little nudging, and is affected by a more outgoing RL persona. Mallory likes to run (as a sport) in her free time...Aylwen just stands behind a bar and yells at people. Aylwen tends to follow the rules of the place she roams about (the Barrow-Downs) while Mallory tends to be a bit more...crazy and spontaneous, I'm told. ![]() However, both Mallory and Aylwen like music. ![]() -Innkeeper/Student ![]()
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...Come down now, they'll say. But everything looks perfect from far away - Come down now! But we'll stay. |
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#39 |
Hauntress of the Havens
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: IN it, but not OF it
Posts: 2,538
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Now I am rather confused myself as to who is really sitting in front of the computer right now.
![]() *takes a deep breath* Lhunardawen is a myopic Halfelven queen who likes to think she is quite as mature as she wants to be. But behind the royal spectacles, Abby (who is bespectacled herself) is merely a 15-year-old Tolkien fan who desires to discuss Middle Earth with others who share her interest, finding none as intensely addicted as her (except for her brother, Nilpaurion Felagund). The Barrow-Downs, for this reason, feels like home to her. As Abby can be very trusting and easily opens up to others, Lhunardawen cannot be so because of obvious reasons. But all the same, both of them can be very crazy one minute and serious the next. And Abby can be very insane, doing something as silly as talking to her stuffed seal (as she is doing right now). ![]() |
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#40 |
Shade of Carn Dûm
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...Hmmm... am I really me? You'll never know... maybe I am really Eowyn Skywalker, and I really do have Luke Skywalker's lightsaber, and... well, my title is a paragraph long... and I can't remember it all. But then, maybe I'm NOT. Hm... who'd ever know? Maybe I'm actually a computer here, trying to discover the secrets of the hidden pathes of the Barrow-downs... maybe I'm a Jedi, who somehow made it to Earth. Maybe I'm an Elf, though I'd be more inclinded to say Hobbit here.
No, Eowyn Skywalker is very much like me... though she's a bit... stranger. Yeah... well... actually... I can be as odd as her... plus. Snrk. I would say, indeed, that I am Eowyn Skywalker, and she is me. But you'll never know that... *laughs evilly* Well, of course we do have many things in common, as both Eowyn Skywalker and I write, love Anakin... yeah, we must be pretty simular... I would say that I am Eowyn Skywalker, and, if I wanted to, could get away as her in real life... I even have the right costumes... and a lightsaber. I think I am me... hmmm... but what else would I be? -Eowyn Skywalker |
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